* Samsung Electronics said it likely earned a
quarterly profit of $8.3 billion as it sold close to 500
handsets a minute and as demand picked up for the flat screens
it makes for mobile devices, including those for rival Apple Inc
products.

* Redbook releases its Retail Sales Index of department and
chain store sales for January at 1355 GMT. In the previous
month, sales rose 0.1 percent.

* Sears Holdings Corp said late on Monday Chief
Executive Louis D'Ambrosio will step down for family health
reasons after the U.S. retailer reported a 1.8 percent decline
in quarter-to-date sales at stores open at least a year.

* National Federation of Independent Business releases small
business optimism index for December at 1230 GMT. In the
previous month, the index read 87.5.

* The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares
turned flat in morning session on Tuesday after opening lower,
with gains in telecom stocks offsetting declines in financial
and mining shares.

* U.S. stocks lost ground on Monday, as investors drew back
from recent gains that lifted the S&P 500 to a five-year high,
in anticipation of sluggish growth in corporate profits.